Apparel Buzz

Leading the Revolution:

For the third consecutive year, the Sri Lanka Design Festival showcases Sri Lanka’s award-winning apparel industry to a specifically invited global audience of buyers, retailers, sourcing specialists and backward integration supply chain partners.

Sri Lanka has become an easier place to do business rising nine places to 89 over the past year in a global ‘doing business’ ranking published by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation.

Amidst woes in US and European markets, Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has survived to grow with the outlook for the next few quarters remaining positive, industry sources told the Daily FT yesterday.

The apparel industry shows signs of maintaining the dominant role in the country’s export sector recording continued growth despite fluctuations in prime global economies. The year to date published figures show an increase of 45% year-on-year for apparel exports which under the trying global situation by any standards would be a commendable performance by the industry, Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association Chairman Rohan Abayakoon told Daily News Business.

* TradeCard Inc. joins forces with Sri Lanka Design Festival
* TradeCard’s global CEO, Kurt Cavano ranked among World Trade Magazines
world’s 50 most influential people, to speak at the festival

The influential Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has put Sri Lanka’s Brandix under spotlight with key insights from its CEO Ashroff Omar which the newspaper described as an “apparel magnate”.

Sri Lanka is gearing up for its third annual Design Festival next month, offering a key opportunity for fashion buyers, brands, retailers, designers and opinion leaders to take a closer look at the country's apparel and textile industry.

Top apparel exporter Brandix has reiterated its commitment to promoting best practices in health and occupational safety, by once again supporting the ‘National Safety and Health Conference,’ the apex national conference in the sphere.

Top international player offers a big bouquet

PALLEKELE, KANDY: In a distinctive plus point to Sri Lanka’s apparel industry, a visiting high-ranking executive of the US giant Limited Brands, said that innovation, quality, technology, hard work and on-time delivery to serve clients, has pushed the island nation to the top of world-wide good products.

*  Triumph launches ‘Wild & Sexy’  collection to conserve environment

Triumph International Lanka Pvt Ltd. officially launched its latest collection of T-shirt bra’s on the 17th of September 2011 at the Crescat Boulevard. The new collection is described by fashion pundits as totally gorgeous and super-sexy, and is meant to be the perfect accompaniment to all the latest catwalk trends.

Business in Paradise: The Offerings of Sri Lanka

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is pleased to note the remarkable improvement Sri Lanka has made over the past three years in the Global Competitiveness Ranking of the World Economic Forum from 79 in 2009/10, 62 in 2010/11 to 52 in 2011/12.

*Jobs for 1,000 people, free of ethnic, gender discrimination

Daya Apparel Export Pvt Limited in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is planning to set up set up three ready-made garment factories in the Ampara District. The factory was inaugurated on September 9th will be the first, and employs 80 workers.

Winner of the Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010 Ethical Fashion Designer for lingerie designer Charini Suriyage, who walked away with the distinction for her collection of eco-luxury lingerie brand ‘Charini’, has moved from strength to strength since that first notable achievement and will now be the first Sri Lankan to present her collection at the prestigious London Fashion Week this autumn.

Principal of AOD British Designer Karen MacLeod talks about her life in fashion and her vision for building AOD to be South Asia’s number one

Designer Karen Macleod moved to Colombo to take over as principal of the Academy of Design (AOD) in Colombo with the vision to make AOD the No. 1 design school in South Asia with a partnership with the acclaimed Northumbria University School of Design.MacLeod graduated from the Northumbria University with a first class in Fashion and Textiles. Her 25 years of experience in international fashion design stretches across world-class brands like Max Mara (Italy), Daniel Hechter (France), Hemisphere (Japan) and many more.

Carbon Consulting Company (CCC)-created carbon labels for two Sri Lankan designers making waves in London.
Designers Charini Suriyage and KT Brown have been selected to exhibit at two of London’s most prestigious fashion shows. KT Brown will be at Pure London and Charini Suriyage at London Fashion Week.

The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) last month launched a campaign to address the challenges it has been facing to overcome negative perceptions about the industry, increase levels of recruitment and retention to meet the challenge of a growing international demand, combat demand pull from other employment opportunities.

Starting this week, 450 apparel factory workers in Punani, Batticaloa will find their daily commute a lot easier.

In recognition of the difficulties posed by long travel distances to and from work – up to 40 kilometres one way for some – and the region’s unreliable public transportation, the workers’ employer, Brandix Lanka Limited, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday provided two 58-seater buses to transport the workers to and from their homes daily. The buses will be operated by Brandix’s worker welfare committee.